Being the child of a Hollywood titan is weird. Being the son of Faye Dunaway is a whole other level of complexity. For decades, Liam Dunaway O'Neill was basically a ghost in the tabloids—a name that popped up on red carpets at Cannes or the Oscars, always a step behind his legendary mother. But honestly, the story most people think they know about him is either outdated or just plain wrong.
He isn't just "Faye’s son" anymore.
Liam was born in 1980. For a long time, the public narrative was that he was the biological son of Dunaway and her second husband, the famous British photographer Terry O’Neill. Then, in 2003, Terry dropped a bombshell in a tabloid interview, claiming Liam was actually adopted. Faye hadn't really talked about it. The silence fueled years of gossip, but if you look at how Liam carries himself now, he clearly doesn't care about the "biological" label. He’s the son of the woman who played Bonnie Parker and Joan Crawford, and that bond is evidently bulletproof.
Why Liam Dunaway O'Neill is stepping into the light now
For years, Liam stayed away from the camera. You'd see him in the background of a 1999 Cannes photo or at a 2008 premiere for a short film like Al’s Beef, but he wasn't chasing the spotlight. That changed recently.
The 2024 HBO documentary FAYE, directed by Laurent Bouzereau, finally gave us a real look at who this guy is. He didn't just show up for a five-minute interview; he was a central pillar of the film. We saw him sitting on a couch with his mom, going through old photo albums, and talking about her bipolar disorder with a level of empathy that’s honestly rare in celebrity families.
He didn't sugarcoat it. He spoke about the "erratic" moments and the intensity of living with a legend who was often battling her own mind. It was a raw, humanizing moment for a family that spent forty years being "mysterious."
The career you probably didn't notice
Liam didn't follow the exact same path as his mom, but he didn't stray far from the industry either. He’s dipped his toes into acting—appearing in Festival in Cannes (2001) and Last Goodbye (2004)—but his real passion seems to be behind the scenes.
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Here is what his professional footprint actually looks like:
- Acting: Small roles in indie films during the early 2000s.
- Production/Writing: He has credits on projects like Danny Boy (2017) and Lost and Found (2015), often taking on multiple roles from directing to screenwriting.
- Documentary Work: His most significant "role" to date has been his contribution to the FAYE documentary, where he served as a primary source and emotional anchor.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag. He isn't headlining Marvel movies, but he seems to have found a lane in the indie world where his name doesn't have to do all the heavy lifting.
The personal transformation nobody talks about
If you follow Liam on social media, you know he went through a massive personal shift a few years ago. In August 2021, he got surprisingly candid on Instagram. He shared that he’d been in a "bad place" mentally and physically, struggling with depression and weight gain.
He basically rebuilt himself.
He started documenting his health journey, and honestly, it was refreshing to see someone with his pedigree being that vulnerable. He’s now a father himself. In 2022, he and his partner, McKinzie Roth, welcomed a son named Oliver. Seeing the photos of Faye Dunaway as a grandmother—Mother’s Day brunches and casual hangouts—is a wild contrast to the "Ice Queen" persona the media gave her in the 70s.
What most people get wrong about the "Adopted" scandal
The 2003 revelation by Terry O'Neill was meant to be a "gotcha" moment. Terry claimed they had adopted Liam from a London agency because they couldn't conceive. The media tried to paint Faye as someone who "lied" about the birth.
But here’s the thing: Liam has been incredibly vocal about the fact that he has zero interest in finding his biological parents. In his eyes, Faye is his mother, and Terry was his father. End of story. He has described his upbringing as one filled with "comfort" despite the pressures of Hollywood. It’s a perspective that shuts down the tabloid drama pretty effectively.
Why he matters in 2026
We’re in an era where "nepo babies" are under a microscope. Some run from the title, others embrace it poorly. Liam Dunaway O'Neill is an interesting middle ground. He uses the platform to protect and explain his mother’s legacy rather than just trying to launch a fragrance line or a reality show.
He’s become the gatekeeper of the "real" Faye Dunaway. Whether he’s walking the red carpet at the 79th Cannes Film Festival or sharing snippets of his life with McKinzie and Oliver, he represents a version of Hollywood royalty that actually seems... grounded?
Takeaways for the curious
If you're looking to understand the Dunaway-O'Neill legacy, don't look at the old gossip columns.
- Watch the documentary: FAYE (2024) is the definitive source for seeing his dynamic with his mother.
- Follow the indie credits: If you want to see his creative side, check out his work on smaller projects like Al's Beef or his writing credits from the mid-2010s.
- Respect the privacy: Unlike many celebrity kids, he doesn't sell his life to the highest bidder. His public appearances are usually tied to supporting family or specific artistic projects.
The real story of Liam Dunaway O'Neill isn't about how he joined the family—it’s about how he stayed loyal to it while finally finding his own voice. He’s managed to navigate the shadow of Chinatown and Bonnie and Clyde without getting lost in the dark, which, in Hollywood, is a pretty massive achievement.
To stay updated on his latest projects or appearances, keeping an eye on major film festival circuits like Cannes or HBO's documentary releases is your best bet, as that's where he tends to surface most authentically.